


The Kerberos Effect

by SecondaryVulpine



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alive!Rover, Coping, Cybernetic!Matt, Cybernetic!Pidge, F/F, OlkariRebel!Pidge, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Regret, Self-Conscious, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-23
Updated: 2017-06-23
Packaged: 2018-11-18 02:49:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11282226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecondaryVulpine/pseuds/SecondaryVulpine
Summary: When Katie watched Matt and Shiro leave, she knew that they would come back. That she would see them again.After they left, Pidge wasn't sure she wanted them to come back. That they would see what she's become.or:In which Katie becomes the rebel leader Pidge after letting Matt and Shiro escape the Galra.





	The Kerberos Effect

**Author's Note:**

> This is kind of a pile of random shite that kinda links into the same idea, I guess? It won’t be more than two chapters or so.
> 
> Also, I feel like Shiro would be a whole lot more relaxed if Matt was on the Voltron team. He’d meme far more often in my opinion.
> 
> If you like the idea, feel free to take inspiration. Tell me if you do use it though, I want to read what you got from this.
> 
> Alternative titles were ‘i can’t believe all the holt kids ended up being rebels and buff af’ or ‘abducted pigeon having hard time avoiding adoption by various alien races’

“Katie, please.”

Matt stood in the escape pod, his tears tinted purple by the glow of his artificial eye. Shiro was behind him, collapsed against the wall of the pod, completely exhausted after the months of torment. Matt wavered as well, his hand hovering over the door switch.

The door thumped violently against her back, the only thing keeping it from crushing her was the blade in the door control panel and the strength of her damaged cybernetic leg halting the steel door from moving farther than an inch. The shouting and slamming that echoed in the back of her head didn’t stop her from looking at her brother with the best neutral expression she could offer.

He reached his hand out, as if it wasn’t over twenty feet away.

“Mom’ll kill me if I don’t bring our pigeon home, so c-come on!” His voice cracked in his throat, her brother’s whole body shaking as he waited for her to dash towards him and into the safety of the pod.

“And the Galra will kill all of us if you don’t eject that pod,” her voice came out a lot calmer than she imagined it would in this situation. Maybe all this time fighting other prisoners and protecting her team dulled her nerves? No, she was terrified but it wasn’t the time to let it get to her.

“Kat-” The pounding at the door suddenly developed into a stronger continuous slamming that made her jolt forward from the force, almost making her lose her footing against the door.

“Use your fancy fucking eye Matt! The door’s gonna come down, my arm’s hanging on by a bit of flesh, and my leg won’t get me to you in time.” She snapped. Matt shook his head, trying to shake the numbers and outlines out of his vision. His lips trembled, she was right. The percentages stuck out from her body, her arm flashing red in his vision and her leg at a staggeringly low number. The door behind Katie began to drop into the below thirties.

He closed his left eye, leaving him with only his natural sight. It was poor, but he didn’t want to see her with all the damage she had sustained flashing in his retinas. He didn’t want to have that as the last image of her for who knows how long. Matt bit his lip and narrowed his eye, struggling to get a clear image of his sister. 

As her appearance became clearer, he gripped the door switch.

“I’ll come back to get you Pidge, you and Dad,” his lips shook themselves into an attempt of a smile. She returned it with her usual slanted grin, her face smeared with blood and sweat.

“You might want to keep that good eye out on the universe bro, I’m not gonna be here long.” Matt closed the door, the engines instantly vibrating and detaching itself from the oxygenated room. He wobbled from the sudden movement but steadied himself by grasping at the handles inside the door, pressing his face against the window to try and see his sister.

The door had collapsed with the power of a dozen soldiers, some at the control panel trying to stop the escape pod’s engines while the rest pointed their rifles at Katie. Her bloodied arm remained at her side while her working one was behind her head, the soldiers pushed her to her knees.

Matt’s knuckles turned white as she looked up at his ascending ship, his enhanced eye spotting her moving lips.

‘I love you.’

He cried as they moved further away from the ship, and he didn’t stop until the weight of the fatigue that Matt was trying to ignore all this time made his wet eye shut and his body slouch against the door.

* * *

The cheers were almost ravenous, the thirst for blood from the onlookers evident even in the fighter’s pit. Her fingertips traced over the metal edge of her arm, the same design of grey and black that her leg had. How long has it been since that day?

Pidge’s mind was still foggy, the electricity that was forced through it didn’t find the name of the soldier that freed her friends but they certainly took a lot of information they didn’t need away in exchange for her uselessness. 

She could barely respond to the name she had given them upon her imprisonment, Katie seemed almost foreign to her. The itch to respond to it lingered in her ears when it was called, but it felt wrong. Her fellow prisoners offered the name ‘Pidge,’ a name that was far more familiar to her than her given name. A nickname her brother had told them.

Her brother, she hoped he made it back home safe, she hoped he stayed there. He and the Champion deserved rest, they needed more than a lifetime of peace and quiet after their imprisonment. They were kind, at least they were in the few memories she had of them. Too softhearted for all of this.

Haggar’s hand found its way to her jaw, a thumb tracing the scar on her lip. She remembered her doing the same to the Champion, trying to trick him into ‘doing his best’ in the fights. The whispers held malevolence, even though the words were kind. The other prisoners avoided their gazes uncomfortably, watching the Champion’s ‘pep talks’ had taught them to simply ignore the low mutters of the head druid.

For the Champion, the whispers carried the chance at freedom. A better life than a pit fighter, one by the emperor’s side. The witch promised safety, survival, knighthood. He clinged onto survival, fighting for the possibility of living, not for a place under a mad man’s rule.

“My little girl,” the voice spoke softly, a fond glint peeking through her hood.

For Pidge, she was pledged a mother. A spot in the druids as a protector, to carry Haggar’s name as proof of her worth to the witch. The whispers were desperate, as if begging her to win just for Haggar’s sake. 

It was sad, Pidge had to admit. Wanting a daughter so much that you try to create one. It was almost as heartbreaking as being torn mentally and physically apart so badly that you can barely remember your mother’s face or how you looked before you ever took to the stars.

A piece of shit sprayed with perfume was still a piece of shit. She didn’t want a mother, she didn’t want to fight for some Stockholm syndrome family. She was going to fight to protect the family she already has.

She wanted to spit in her face, curse her and her fucking species. But that would be a death sentence, not that being here wasn’t. She had to pander to Haggar, to Zarkon, to all the Galra to survive.

The witch left her, the doors slowly grinding open. The roars from Galran spectators getting louder and louder, the prisoners recoiling from the glare of the spotlights. A sign that death could suddenly take them.

“Defender,” Xi, the grey alien spoke to her. “Please be careful.” She gave him a firm nod, stepping forward to the entrance to the ring.

Her friend’s title was the Champion, awarded to him for his streak of victories. He fought to survive after Matt and herself were taken in for experimentation, since the Galra had yet to have multiple human subjects to test on.

In reality, he would’ve only had to fight if all the prisoners in their section had died in the fights before him. They weren’t told this before, but when Pidge was shoved back into the shared jail cell she was. That the section was a team of fighters, that all of them could fight at any moment if they wanted to.

When the next fighter was called up, they all shook with terror beside her. The Champion was gone, they cried. They were all going to die one by one, until the section was entirely wiped out. The drone slammed its gun into the wall, demanding the next victim.

She looked at the prisoners trembled with their heads in the hands, her brother had the same look when he was chosen to fight. If it weren’t for the Champion, Matt would be dead. He could’ve let her brother be walked to his death, he could’ve just pushed any of these other prisoners ahead of him.

But he didn’t, he was fair too kind for this place. Then again, so were her cellmates. They were delicate with her before, telling her their culture to distract her and themselves from the dark metal walls and ominous lights that woke them up in the mornings. It seemed like she was surrounded by the nicest inhabitants of the universe while being captive by the worse ones. 

Pidge made the connection very quickly at that moment, that these prisoners were far more than cellmates to her. They all relied on each other for support, something they had given her from day one. She was treated like the youngest sibling. 

She was family to them, like they were to her.

When she stood up that time, they had begged her to not go. That she was only a child, that she didn’t have to fight. This kept going fight after fight, their desperation to stop her getting worse with each new scar on her body. But Pidge wasn’t going to give up on them.

This was many fights ago, the begging was eventually replaced with grateful tenderness. They tended to her wounds, they still told her stories to calm her at night, slipping her the better parts of their meals to make hers taste a little better. This new family of hers helped ease her memories of home back, the kindness reminding her of how she used to live and be. They didn’t treat her any differently after the fights, no matter how gruesome the outcome.

They called her their ‘Defender’ and she was far too unworthy of that title.

She stepped out of the gates to the shouts of the crowd, facing a hulking mass of muscle that had seen a fair few bad fights. But the encouragement was for her, she was of course a fan favourite. Everyone rooted for the underdog, no matter the species.

Her opponent screeched and charged at her before the bell even rang, being the underdog wasn't the only reason she was the most popular. Her arm charged up, snatching the alien’s arm and crushing the forearm with a god awful crunch. The crowd roared as her opponent crumbled to the ground in pain.

The Champion wouldn’t have lasted this long, neither would her prison family. The Galra fed off the destruction of planets and entire species. But they relished in the sight of another’s bloodthirst, her leg glowed as she brought it down on the alien’s head. The Champion had mercy, something she couldn’t afford to spare now that she was protector of her sector.

Pidge raised her arms and gave them a guttural roar in victory, suppressing the rising bile in her throat. The sensors in her foots etched the sharp shards of bone into her nerves, the blood pooling beneath her as she gave the crowd a wild smile.

“Vrepit Sa!” They cheered along with her, chanting her current name with vigor along with their signature phrase. To thrust or move forward with no regret, it was a motto she adopted if only to spite them. Sharing the same sentiment but not the same goal.

The crowd rose to a standing ovation, far too happy with her actions than she was. The Champion was under Haggar’s spell, so she doubted that he would remember doing similar things to this. Killing or maiming others for survival, it was something she hoped he would never have to remember. She wished that she could.

Pidge was going to make up for all this. She’ll lead a revolt that will destroy the empire from within, she’ll free all the planets the Galra have spread to, she’ll free the family that kept her alive and come back to her actual family with her sins atoned for and a weight off her shoulders. 

Pidge would become someone worthy enough to be the Defender, even if she has to be one to the universe to do so.

* * *

The dust settled at Shiro’s feet as he stood out in the open. Breathing in, he examined the barren terrain.

This had to be the first moment he has had in a long time where he had the opportunity to simply stop. Where he could just say, ‘I need a rest’ and stand in one spot without a soldier jabbing the butt of their rifle into his back or have some faint whisper of a threat leak its way into his ear. A shiver went down his spine, his mind still foggy from his year on the ship.

A firm hand found its way onto his good shoulder, his human one. Shiro snapped his head to the owner of the hand, a sighing Matt that simply patted the boy on his shoulder with a tired expression. His half lidded eyes nearly hiding the purple glow of his eye as he scanned the group that rescued them a few hours prior.

“They found the entrance to, whatever we’re looking for…” Shiro looked at his friend and teammate, the clothes Keith had provided him hung loosely on his small frame. The only thing that was close to fitting the young man was a grey hoodie that was only slightly wider than his shoulders. Shiro shared the same colour motif as well as the same dark bags under his eyes. Similar clothing was packed into a messenger bag slung over Matt’s shoulder, for Katie.

He couldn’t blame Matt, he could remember more of what had happened at the ship. His teammate could recall the pain caused by the people in hoods, the cold metal of the jail cells, the fights, and their final moments on the ship.

Matt moved to walk ahead, towards the others to the cave. Shiro grabbed his arm, halting the boy and making him turn his head to look over his shoulder. His human eye was bloodshot and weary.

“Matt,” Shiro spoke softly. “We’re going to get her back, I promise.” Matt’s lips trembled, he squinted and shook his head. The boy ruffled his own hair, returning his attention back to his former pilot.

“I know, I know but…” He gulped down a shaky breath, trying to put enough effort into a brave smile. “I’m just afraid that, that she’ll end up worse than us. I feel like she’ll probably outrank us in alien ship ptsd, y’know?” Both he and Shiro shared a fleeting chuckle, even though Matt’s was considerably weak.

“That’s only if she hasn’t taken over the place yet,” Matt laughed with a little more assurance at Shiro’s joke. “Katie’s probably hooked up the place with L.E.D.s, like she did with her computer!” Matt smiled, his shoulders slumping from his formerly stiff posture as he began to walk away.

“We’re gonna need Voltron, man. Not to fight whatever took us, just to find out where she’s gone.” With a confused expression, Shiro caught up with the boy.

“Where she’s gone?” Matt threw him a crooked grin, spinning on his feet to walk backwards in front of Shiro with his hands behind his back. A habit he shared with his sister. He could hear Lance calling for them as Matt cheekily stared at him.

“There’s no doubt that Katie’s destroyed that ship and found some alien planet to conquer by now,” he paused to wave at Lance. “Anyway, we should get moving if we want to at least get some sort of bragging rights for being friends with the queen of planet Pidge. C’mon!” Matt seized Shiro’s hand and tugged him into a faster space, Shiro still shaking his head at what his friend had just said.

He quickened his run and raced Matt, who grinned caught up to his speed as they both dashed to the others. A wind in their faces and the nearly forgotten feeling of the sun on their backs. Lance laughed as he stuck his hands into his jacket pockets, a wide grin on his face.

“That’s the spirit! I’m likin’ those happy faces, let’s keep these good vibes going!” He whooped, jumping off the rock he was standing on and into the cave. Keith groaned and charged after him with an awkward Hunk in tow.

“Uhh, guys, you better get in here. Lance can run really fast when he’s excited,” Hunk called out to them before also entering the cave. Matt snorted, dragging Shiro along with him after the boys.

A brilliant blue glow illuminated the cave as the two returned to the group, different blue lions leaping and flying through the air were carved into the rock walls but were lit in the same sort of lighting as the ship they were on.

“This, this has never happened before…” Keith whispered, taking in the sight of the soft lighting streaked across the walls. 

The ground beneath them crumbled and glowed, the rough stone seemingly disappearing in the blue glow and dropping them into the abyss beneath them.

* * *

Pidge was given her own personal cell, one of the many perks of getting a Galra commander a ton of cash through him betting on you. The man, Sendak, had even graced her with his presence, treating her like some charity case.

“If I could let you walk around without cuffs I would, Champ,” his gruff tone was cheerful. She wanted to tear it right out of his furry throat. “You have a Galra spirit, you fight to win. Something some of my soldiers could do with!” He laughed, his glowing arm flickering with each howl.

Sendak pulled a flask off his belt, taking a swig before holding it into her cell. Obviously showing her that it contained nothing harmful. He knew she was cautious, it was probably clear in her manner of fighting.

“The finest of Taujeerian wine, probably some of the last in existence! It wasn’t too hard to buy, considering your help with my ‘lucky streak.’ You can keep the flask, as a sign of your service.” He waved the flask at her, making Pidge approach him slowly and took it with fake graciousness. She had repress a flinch when he reached over with his not robot arm and ruffled her hair, she heartily laughed away the need to rip his last arm out of its socket.

“You’re as cute as a Galra kit, you know that girly? All fluffy and soft and shit.” She ‘smiled’ at the compliment, it was a surprise he knew she was a girl with her short hair and rugged appearance. Pidge has had a fair few passes thrown at her from her jail cell by female soldiers who thought she was a guy, apparently viciousness was still a staple in Galra romance. She managed to dodge a few of them by telling them she was a girl, and the more progressive ones were a lot harder to navigate..

“If you keep up the good behaviour, I’ll see if I get you signed up for prisoner rehabilitation. I can get you bumped up to the junior officer standard, that’ll mean you could work with someone like me! How about that kid!”

Pidge brought the flask to her lips, gulping down the wine like it was the last drink she’ll ever have. She didn’t know what was worse, that all these Galra wanted her as their own or that she actually seemed appealing to the some of the worst people in the galaxy.

“Vrepit Sa,” she coughed out, wiping her mouth on her sleeve.

People in powerful positions were treating her with far more respect than a prisoner should get. The magical adviser to the emperor wanted to adopt her, the galra women wanted her, now a commander wanted her as a personal soldier. Next thing is Zarkon hands over his position, ‘here pidge, take my keys and go fuck my wife!’ 

“See, that’s what I’m talking about. You’d make a great drinking buddy!” He gestured at her to another soldier when she swallowed the last drop of the liquid. “Isn’t this kid a goddamn riot?” The droid was unresponsive, making Sendak’s amused state disappear.

A growl escaped him. “I’ll be back, got it Champ?” He stalked off that evening with his patrol, only to return in the late hours. He brought more alcohol, better food, and the key to the cell.

She didn’t understand it.

Sendak simply let himself into the cell, bringing everything inside before locking it. Sure, he had his fancy arm to protect him but surely he knew she wasn’t an incapable fighter? He wasn’t tense, or guarded, or anything like that. He just laid out the food and drink in front of her and started talking to her. Maybe he knew she wouldn’t risk attacking him in a confined space.

It ranged from him praising her to comparing her to himself in his younger years, that she might as well be his kid from their shared drive to win to their fighting style. Nothing will stop them but victory or death, Pidge didn’t lie when she verbally agreed with him. He was right about that much, they both would rather die than lose, just for different reasons.

Eventually his duties would call him back, but he still returned in the evenings to talk to her. He started to ask about her, where she learned to fight, how she had survived this long without prior training. The longer he stayed, the more affectionate he became. Ruffling and patting her hair, giving her toothy grins when she said the right things.

It got to the point where didn’t try to sugarcoat anything she said, she still kept up the ass kissing behaviour, just not to the same degree. Maybe it was the alcohol, she was probably reliant on the stuff by now.

She started to confess more and more to him, within reason. How she hadn’t even been in a fight before being abducted, that she was probably one of the weakest humans on earth, and that she was only alive by instinct.

These answers only pleased him, making him say that he was proud to have someone like her on his ship. That he’d rather her than an army of those ‘tin cans’ as he called them. The nights went on through their month long voyage, similar conversations were had. Pidge had actually grown to enjoy his company, sure he wasn’t a Holt or a prisoner, but he certainly had an nicer air around her than when he was working.

She didn’t hate the Galra, she had grown out of that phase. The prisoners told her of a time when the species were valiant and proud warriors of the just, so she knew they were only following the example of their ruler. She hated Zarkon, she hated parts of Haggar, and she hated what Sendak stood for. She may have disliked him in the beginning, and she'll probably never trust him to a large degree. But he was far more than a soldier, he was a person that was raised to believe in his ruler.

She wasn’t going to throw away a decent conversation when she needed it the most, even if it was mostly talking about fighting, honour, and how good the food was that night. 

Although one night he suddenly froze when she laughed at a joke he made, leaving her genuinely snorting. He was good at impressions, making his second in command come alive through an unflattering nasally voice. It revived memories of her father reading stories to her as a child, making her laughter a lot more honest than any of the other times she went along with jokes.

She stopped immediately when he stiffened though, apologising for stepping out of line with her best ‘obedient soldier’ act. Sendak only stared at her, Pidge’s reflection in his robotic eye. He sighed.

“You look like my boy, when you do that.” Pidge raised her head, gulping down a breath of air.

“Do what?” Sendak grimaced, his hand on the back of his neck as he looked away.

“Laugh, be happy, anything really. Like when he was kid.” She could see the frustration build him in him, obviously his conscience was telling him not to discuss this further. She was of course, just a prisoner. But after all this time spent with him, she could probably get away with pressing further.

“Have you not seen him?” He scoffed, snatching up a bottle and guzzled half of it down. His face scrunched up in anger.

“He went off to join some resistance, wanted to be a part of the ‘right side of history!’” Pidge wondered if she’d meet him, when she got out of here eventually. “Said that his mother was right to leave!” The air suddenly got heavier as he rambled on about his wife suddenly leaving in the middle of the night and same happening with the boy. She was starting to understand why he’s been visiting her cell.

“They should’ve been loyal, respectful to both the Emperor and I. They didn’t have the right spirit, the true Galra spirit that will wins us this war. Like yours.” His mouth snapped shut when the last part slip out, it seemed he didn’t want her to know that part. 

He got up, his mouth shut with a frown. He unlocked the cell door, quickly slamming it behind him with the click of the lock. He left Pidge to hug her legs, leaving without a word. Her head sunk into her knees.

Sendak was lonely and she reminded him of his son.

Why was she getting the inside scoop into the humanity of the Galra? Haggar wanted a family, Sendak misses his, and here she was fighting for hers. They all shared the same desire but drastically different ways to fulfilling it. It wasn’t fair that any of this was happening, to any of them. 

If they weren’t bad guys, she would’ve fought for Haggar, given Sendak some company, done something to help them. However this wasn’t the case; no matter how humane they seem, they were still set on conquering the universe. 

And she had a family to protect and a father to find, regardless on how much she’d like to help the Galra she had come to know. God, she really wasn’t any better than the Galra, was she? Dedicated to her cause till the end.

A purr filled her ears, like many times before during this trip.

_The time is now. The cell is unlocked, green one._

Pidge raised her head and got up, her arm and leg activating with a purple light. She let out a shaky breath, blinking her now stinging eyes to look at the incoming Galra drone. Sendak’s flask weighing heavy on the fabric wrapped around her waist.

“Vrepit Sa,” she muttered as she kicked open the cell door and crushed the drone’s head in her hand.

* * *

The lion purred softly in his ears, uttering kind words to Matt as he steadied the Green Lion to a low position to let Shiro abroad. But the stairs would not deploy itself from the mouth of the robot, it’s head almost bowing in a respectful manner to the human waiting to enter. As if to apologise for the delay.

 _What a burdened soul. So tired._ It whispered, he felt the aches in his body melt away into the material of the pilot’s seat. _Poor child. What have they done to my cub’s kin?_ He tried to straighten up, but the lion’s energy kept him relaxed in the chair.

“Your cub?” The light dimmed, a low growl escaping the lion. Matt’s head blanked out, like it did at the cave. 

The Green Lion soared through what seemed like fifty solar systems, light left flickering in its path like falling alder tree leaves. As it zigzagged past asteroids and swung past small planets, he felt all the movements as if he was the one flying there.

The vision stopped itself, orbiting outside a planet with such tall trees that he swore he could see the nests of some birds atop them. The name popped into his head.

“Olkarion? Is there another lion there?” He whispered, his hands gripping the sides of his seat. If there was a sixth lion, that meant Voltron would have some sort of companion lion? Perhaps it turned into a weapon for Voltron to use?

Katie flashed in his eyes, her face was mostly hidden by some sort of hood but it was still _her_. She looked more tired than he did, but the small grin she had as she placed a seed deep into a patch of soil eased his worries. She was fine, she was _alive._

The Green Lion brought him back to reality, with Shiro waving at him. Matt could hear him shout questions from the outside, asking if everything was alright. But as a large, ecstatic smile took over his features, he put his hand on the console in from him. The humming power of the lion in the palm of his hand.

“She’s your pilot, isn’t she?” Another purr emanated from the beast.

 _She is indeed._ A laughter bubbled in his chest, his free hand pushing the hair out of his eyes.

_I apologise for misleading you, but I’m afraid that your position of as a Paladin is in short arrangement. I appointed you as my temporary pilot as we both wish for her to be here, with us._

Matt roared with a gleeful laugh, patting the console as if it were his dog Gunther.

“You don’t know how happy I am to hear you say that!” He exclaimed, delight evident in his voice. He leaned back in the seat, his eyes screwed shut as he cackled. The seat shot forward, putting Matt within arms reach of the controls. He gripped them tightly in his hand, a slanted grin on his face. 

“We’ll get Pidge and we’re gonna save the whole galaxy Green!” 

Both he and the Green Lion roared, making the trees quake and the wildlife respond with their own cries. Shiro stumbled back, watching the spectacle in astonishment from beneath the large robotic beast.

The Black Paladin remained confused as his close friend, who was dead on his feet just a little while ago, howled with joy as he performed spins and barrel rolled his way back to the castle with no explanation for his sudden change in behaviour.

* * *

Practise must have made perfect, she thought as she mowed through a patrol of drones. Her hand easily sliced through the necks of the robots, leaving them instantly destroyed. She had learned this from the repairs that happened around her when her cybernetics needed improvement, everything a drone needed to alert the main deck and also process the best possible way to eliminate a threat was in the head. Separating the head from the power unit in the check left no trace to her at all.

Pidge snatch an aerial scanning unit out of the air as it turned a corner before it could scan her, popping open the side panel to its controls. After fiddling with the wires, she rebooted the bot. It’s formerly red lighting now a soothing green, it beeped when its camera saw her.

“Happy Birth Rover,” she cooed. “Now, let’s go!”

The voice rumbled from the depths of the prison, which made freeing the prisoners a great deal more convenient. Finding the cell door, she ordered Rover to release the locks. Rover floated over, its green laser revealing the security system before making the door open.

Her friends lit up at the sight of her, large smiles appearing on their faces. She kicked up a rifle up to her hands, tossing it to the ferret like alien, Ulin. 

“Now, we have a little bit to the pods, if you’d like to join me in getting the fuck outta here?” She shot the few nervous ones a confident grin, a clear path being provided in her head by whatever was calling out to her.

The prisoners charged forward with large smiles and determined faces, snatching of the discarded weapons of the destroyed soldiers. The time spent in the prison almost immediately forgotten at the thought of freedom.

“Lead the way, Defender!” A chorus of hopeful cries echoed through the hall, she didn’t waste second before sprinting off in the direction she was being spiritually tugged at to go. There were very few drones in this part of the ship, as was expected.

She charged at two guards that stood by the final door, grabbing one by the neck and crushing the metal in her hand. Ulin managed to fire a shot directly into the head of the other, giving Pidge easy access to the stunned drone’s neck. Its metal body slumped against the door panel, opening the door to reveal rows upon rows of ships.

The prisoners behind started to cheer and run ahead of her, waving their arms at all the possible means of escape. The ships had weapons, directional control, and more than enough room to house all of them at once.

But Pidge stood in awe of what lied at the end of the ship bay, a colossal beast that was protected by a humming blue shield. Was that, a robot lion?

_Nice to meet you, green one._

A rumble came from the lion, its eyes shining a brilliant yellow when she approached. It bowed its red head to her, its chin scraping the metal floor as it peered at her. The force field was still up, inches away from her face. The prisoners urged to take a step back, Xi and another insect like alien, Linel, tugging on her sleeve for them to leave.

 _You and I have been in the Galra’s hold for too long._ It purred, the yellow orbs boring into hers. _You may not be mine, but I admit I am honoured to have a capable fighter pilot me, until my boy eventually comes to me._

“Uh, thanks?” The prisoners looked at her as if she were insane, not that she wasn’t at this point. However this voice was far too specific to be in her head, right? Calling her green and saying that her boy will come wasn’t one of usually sleep deprived delusions. “Does that uh, mean you’ll help us out?” The forcefield faded and the lion’s mouth opened up to reveal a stairway leading further into the beast. 

_Give me a planet and I will gladly bring you and your companions there_. Its purr carried pride. _I am, of course, the fastest of the Lions._ She didn’t know whether or not it was good thing that there were more of these beasts. She shook off the thought, there was really no need to think about a possible impending robo-lion apocalypse.

Pidge turned to Xi and Linel, not really sure what to feel. There was a fear of possible death, confusion, surprise, a feeling she felt like was probably developing insanity. The variety kind of left her, numb. Or maybe that was the lack of feeling from imprisonment, she went with former.

“So uh, the lion says that it’ll take us anywhere we want. It’s the fastest, apparently…” Xi looked at her and then at the group behind them, struggling to find the right words. A moment passed before the insect like alien slowly raised his hand.

“My planet could hide all of us in the great forest, including the lion.” Pidge ruffled her hair, nodding thoughtfully. “My people are also well versed in technology and engineering, so we have a means of defense should we be found.” Wait, technology? Non-Galra technology? She could feel herself salivating at the thought. Some habits died hard, she guessed.

“Alright! Linel you’re with me, and Xi, get everyone into the pod. I’ll carry the pod in the Lion’s mouth to save time.” The other prisoners eyed her and the lion, shifting excitedly in their little group.

“Defender, does that mean…” A quiet voice came from Ulin, her tiny hands all fidgeting with her rifle. Pidge gave the whole group a slanted grin, the one that Xi said she and her brother shared.

“It may not be home, but…” Her hand found itself ruffling her white roots again, “It’s better than here right?” A cheer of agreement echoed through the hall, the prisoners chanting defender as Xi ushered them into one of the pods. He waved at her before entering the pod himself and setting up to launch.

Linel patiently waited beside her as she took in a deep breath, his hands behind his back with a pleasant expression. She stared at the Red Lion, both it, Rover and Linel silently awaiting for her to board it. It felt like when she left for Kerberos, with the personnel alongside her when she was preparing to launch.

“My people will like you, Defender.” She turned to glance at him as he continued. “I’ll show you all the technology we have to offer, since you are as fond of the subject as my people are. It will be cool, as you always say.” She chuckled, tearing her gaze from him to the lion with a smile.

“Linel?” He hummed inquisitively. “Do you think we could alter my prosthetics? It’d be freakin’ sweet if I could changed the lights,” Linel cracked up. His body rocking with laughter as she wrapped her Galra arm around his shoulders, leading him to the lion’s mouth.

“You certainly have your priorities in order Defender!” He tried to stifle his laughter, his hand patting her human shoulder as he walked with her up the steps. “Come now, the sooner we reach Olkarion, the sooner we can leave all of this behind us.”

The mouth of the lion closed with the jets of the escape pod igniting, the bay door opening up to reveal a vast space ahead of them. The pod ejected, flying out of the hangar as Pidge’s seat jolted to the controls of the lion. This was it.

Her hands grasped the handles while Linel gripped the back of her seat, the lion manifested the instructions in her mind. Yanking the handles, the lion roared to life. It shot forward, snatching the escape pod into its mouth with its boosters firing up.

_Planet Olkarion then?_

Pidge straightened her back against the leather seats, a grin on her face as she nodded. “If it’s not too much trouble, Red.” The lion rumbled with what seemed like laughter, the thrusters on its feet suddenly bursting with a blue flame and speeding up the lion.

_I believe that will be no issue at all._

A portal appeared miles ahead of them, it's soft blue almost inviting compared to the purple one she had grown accustomed to. Her arms pushed the controls with all her might, forcing the lion to charge forward at top speeds into the portal. 

It closed, leaving Sendak’s ship and the Galra behind them.

* * *

“I’m not surprised that your sister ended up on Olkarion,” Coran began, his hand on the castle command module. “They’re incredible engineers, able to bend metal to their will with only a single thought! And judging from your description, I’d reckon that she’s not too far off herself.” Matt’s chest puffed out, his finger rubbing his lip with pride.

“That’s my sis alright,” Lance looked on amused from his chair at the boy. Matt continued on, “Taught her everything she knows.” Shiro stifled a laugh.

“So you taught her how to beat the last invader in space invader then huh?” Shiro’s mocking tone made Matt’s neck slowly crane towards him, a look of betrayal on his face.

“Shiro, what the fuck?” He whispered softly, sending the Black Paladin into a fit of raucous laughter. The rest of the paladins joined in, laughing at Matt’s expense. Coran slipped Hunk a ‘Katie hunts alien invaders?’ only for Hunk to wave it off, and explain that it was a game.

Allura’s eyes flicked from spot to spot on the hologram of their coordinates while her team laughed, they were only two jumps away from Olkarion at this point. It was amazing really, for a paladin to manage to use the portal system to such a degree in a different lion. Well, it was amazing that a Green Paladin could even get the Red Lion to let them pilot.

“I must say,” Allura spoke with soft astonishment, her hand waving in the footage they salvaged from Galra ship that the Red Lion was once imprisoned on. “Your sister is a very capable fighter, one of the best I’ve seen! She truly is,” The blurry image of a human prisoner danced across her screen with ease made her sentence trail off, a stream of neon purple in their path as they decimated a whole patrol of Galra droids in matter of ticks before tearing open a jail door. 

A slightly clearer Katie tossed a rifle to a prisoner, the close proximity of the security camera catching the girl’s confident and reassuring smile. It was obviously a bid to comfort the terrified prisoners, but it definitely worked when all of the them clambered out of the cell and picked up weapons almost immediately. A smile of her own crept onto Allura’s face.

“Remarkable,” she whispered.

Lance leaned over the side of his chair, his head on his hand as he whispered.

“Hey Matt,” he gestured at the Princess when Matt turned to him. “The Princess is really examining the footage of your sister, don’t you think?” The temporary Paladin stared at him before moving his gaze to Allura, keeping his attention on her for a moment. His brow furrowed.

“Katie, what the fuck?” A loud and indignant snort escaped Lance at Matt’s spiteful whisper, his eyes slamming shut as snickered and giggled. The loud noise brought Allura back to reality, she cleared her throat and dismissed the footage.

“Yes, uh,” Matt’s persistent stare lingered on her as she struggled to speak. “We’ll arrive at Olkarion shortly so it would be best for you all to get to your lions, Keith and I will deploy with you in one of the pods,” Keith shrugged from his seat. He didn’t really care as long as he got his Lion. 

“You’re coming with us Princess?” Hunk stepped forward, his hand resting on the belt of his paladin armour. 

“Of course,” her voice nearly cracked, she really had to calm down. “I wish to meet Katie as she has not had the situation explained to her, unlike the rest of you.” Lance shot Matt a knowing look, with his eyebrows wiggling. Matt frowned as the Princess told them to go to their lions soon. Ignoring Lance, he followed the order, settling into a quick pace with Shiro as they left the room. 

To get Katie.

**Author's Note:**

> That’s it for now, the team’ll go to Olkarion next time and Pidge tries to adapt. I liked the idea of having Pidge as a Kerberos survivor but really didn’t have enough to write to make this a full chapter by chapter thing. I had a bunch of ideas ranging from varying interactions and friendships with the Paladins, Shiro being a whole lot more relaxed since Matt was there, Allura and other aliens just thinking that Pidge is the Bomb™
> 
> I don’t where the whole thing where the Galra liked Pidge in this, it kinda just wrote itself in here. I’d imagine that when a small alien keeps up an undefeated winning streak in some of the most ruthless environments would gain her some sort of cred with the Galra. And then like how she became a boy in the Garrison, she’d play to the crowd so that she could avoid any future confrontation.
> 
> This was all one big weird idea but I decided to post it regardless since I’d like to see more Pallura and more AUs with Pidge being a total badass. I pretty much only write for fun so, most of this was just that. Fun.
> 
> See you guys next time.


End file.
